Daniel Whyte III Preaches and Adapts Part 2 of an Article Written for a Magazine That He Owns Called the Torch (Now Called the Torch Leader) by His Deceased Younger Brother Mark Anthony White on the Day of His Homegoing Service Perfectly Titled “The Next Level”
TEXT: Hebrews 11:6
6 For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
TEXT: Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
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My Younger Brother Mark Anthony White Has Gone to ‘the Next Level’ and was Laid to Rest yesterday, Saturday, February 29. Please Pray for His Family. Today I am continuing to preach an Article That He Wrote for One of Our Other Publications ‘The Torch’ (Now Called ‘The Torch Leader’) Some Years Ago Titled ‘The Next Level.’ Out of my immediate family, Outside of My Father Bishop Daniel White Jr., the Mark Anthony White That I Remember, Who We Called Tony, Was the Most Sincere About His Christian Faith, and He is Now in That Most Beautiful Place Called Heaven and His Days of Pain, Heartache, and Sickness Are All Gone. Please Pray for His five Children That He Left Behind, Tsciena White, Danari White, Talia White, Salomé White, and Mark White Jr.
In the first part of this message, we saw that “without faith it is impossible to please God”. We must know in our heart that our heavenly Father is all that Scripture says He is. And further, by knowing these things, we rest in the assurance that our Lord always has our best interest at heart.
But what about those seemingly “crazy” detours that we’re forced to take? You know, those times when we are confident that we’re heading in the right direction when, out of the blue, something happens to hinder our stride. It is these times when we hold fast to that which we don’t see and wait for that which has yet to be manifested.
A look back at Hebrews 11:1 makes it clear to us that, among other things, possessing faith is essential for us to be able to walk honorably with the true, invisible God who has made us His own. This well-known verse asserts that our conviction consists of our confidence in the Lord, and that this same assurance is the proof of what we know to be true, all-be-it unseen.
But how can this be? How can we reach a point where we cease to have doubt about our ultimate well-being in any circumstance?
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
A good starting place would be to accept from God’s Word that, by His Spirit, He has given us faith with which to believe in Him.
Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
I Corinthians 12:7 says, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”
Once we have accepted this truth, we’ll need to submit ourselves to God’s “maturity plan” for believers which consists of inconvenient and oftentimes, painful trials. The reason for this method has nothing to do with sadism, but a lot to do with the fact that our Lord, sadly, doesn’t get our undivided attention until our personal agendas are interrupted. This can sometimes mean grave disappointment which, in turn, can mean emotional hurt. But what we, as believers, can hold fast to is that all people undergo some type of hardship in their lives, but we have the benefit of these experiences resulting in wonderful blessings at key points in our lives.
So, there is a point to this after all. God communicates the stages of His process in His Word:
Romans 5:1-5 says“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”.
These truths clearly steer believers from accepting the humanistic notion that events that occur in our lives are often happenstance. Indeed, occurrences in the Christian’s life, even some of those which strike us as insignificant, have meaning. These occurrences serve as both minor and major contributions to our respective developments as productive servants of the most High.
THE GAIN OF PAIN
Verse 3 of the above text alludes to the tribulations or trials that inevitably enter our lives from time to time. They appear for a myriad of reasons such as: (1) tests of our faith, (2) adversarial attacks, and (3) sin. Nevertheless, our God is able to turn these adverse situations into great advantage for His children, if we trust Him. Such trials often bring with them difficulty and heartache, In fact, the Lord consistently impacts our sensitivities just enough to make us stop and, if we are wise, become introspective and examine ourselves for such things as priority (i.e., Who’s really number one in our lives?); purity (i.e., Are we ignoring some habitual sin in our lives?); purpose (i.e., Are we carrying out the duties that the Holy Spirit has convicted us to?).
WAITING ON THE LORD
Tribulation triggers the exercising of our patience. A new trial not only requires the endurance capacity that we presently possess but also that which only God, and not we, know that we have. This waiting can be the hardest part, and sometimes spiritually dangerous, as we tend to steer toward carnal comforts (eg.: unhealthy relationships, compulsive self-abuse, withdrawal from fellowship). Again, there is a fruitful purpose to this. James 1:3-4 states that “the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect (complete) and entire, wanting nothing.” We see here that the trials that God allows to impact our lives, force us to begin to rely on that which is not temporary and that which we cannot lose—the Lord Himself. We become complete by attaching the placentas of our souls directly to Him by feeding on His Word and by consistently praying. Our Lord wants us to tap into a direct feed as oppose to relying on indirect and occasional transmissions of His nourishment. It is good for us to remember that God’s schedule, no doubt, is very different from our own timetable. He contemplates the entire season, while we’re entranced with but a moment of a day.
Psalm 27:13 says “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”.
Romans 5:4a informs us of the result of patience. And it is that time which we can look back in our lives and be reminded of God’s faithful deliverances. It is the proof of the fact that, in Christ, we are overcomers; indeed, solid proof, as we are the ones who have been made victorious. In order for us to obtain this knowledge of both crutches, He disallows our spouses or other close friends from meeting our needs, no matter how well-intentioned they may be. Our favorite pastimes and hobbies often lack appeal during these times. Career goals strike us as meaningless. At the cost of our discomfort, our loving God is greatly blessing us to see what we should always see—at all times, sunshine or rain. He’s all we have. With each trial we see more and more clearly that our Lord can always be trusted.
God uses each tribulation to enhance our knowledge base so that when the next challenge comes along we have a genuine confidence, not based on some pretense of clairvoyance, but one solely based on our Father’s impeccable track record. In a nutshell, we take the sentiment expressed in a very popular spiritual, I Don’t Feel Noways Tired:
I don’t believe, He brought me this far to leave me
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My Brother Mark Anthony White and My Father Bishop Daniel White Jr. Are Now in Heaven and Would Like for Me to Tell You How to Get There.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
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